Aston Villa Sells Women’s Football Team
Aston Villa has announced a significant transaction involving the sale of their women’s football team to V Sports, the parent organization that also oversees the men’s team. Furthermore, the deal includes the sale of a portion of the operation to several high-profile investors based in the United States.
Financial Compliance and Negotiations
The club asserts that they are not facing any challenges in relation to the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), and they are currently engaged in advanced negotiations with UEFA aimed at rectifying concerns about their financial fair play (FFP) compliance.
About V Sports
V Sports, which was previously known as NWSE before rebranding in 2021, is jointly controlled by American billionaire Wes Edens and Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris, who also serves as the chairman of Aston Villa. In addition to their interests in Villa, V Sports holds stakes in other clubs, including a 29% share in Portugal’s Vitoria S.C. and a 25% stake in Spain’s Real Union. The company has also formed partnerships with ZED FC, a club in the Egyptian Premier League, and Vissel Kobe from Japan’s J1 League.
Context of the Sale
Reports indicate that the decision to sell the women’s team has been under consideration for about a year and a half, as Aston Villa grapples with heavy financial losses amounting to £195 million ($267 million) over the last two years. These losses have brought the club close to a potential breach of PSR guidelines. This strategic selling shift is reminiscent of Chelsea’s approach when they sold their women’s team to BlueCo for £200 million in June 2024, a transaction aimed at bolstering financial standing. Chelsea also made headlines earlier by selling an 8% stake of their women’s team to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, valuing the entire team at approximately £245 million.
Competitive Performance and Financial Situation
In the context of competitive play, Aston Villa’s women’s side secured a sixth-place finish in the Women’s Super League (WSL) last season and has been competing in the top tier of English women’s football since the 2020-21 season. Concurrently, the men’s team achieved a sixth-place finish in the Premier League for the 2024-25 season, qualifying for the Europa League as a result.
However, the club’s financial situation remains precarious, with reported losses of £85.4 million for the 2023-24 season following a deficit of £119.6 million in the previous year. While they did manage to break even with a profit of £300,000 in the 2021-22 season, the overall losses across three seasons total over £105 million, raising concerns about compliance with PSR, although expenses related to infrastructure, youth development, and women’s football do not count against these figures.
